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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23563423">Little Shop of Wonders</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bards_Gambit/pseuds/The_Bards_Gambit'>The_Bards_Gambit</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Gen, My First AO3 Post, My First Work in This Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:54:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,562</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23563423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bards_Gambit/pseuds/The_Bards_Gambit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After some time on the road, Steven is ready to settle down for a moment and take a break. There's just one small problem...</p><p>Getting a job hasn't been going well.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Still bummed out about that last job application?” Connie asked, putting her latte down as Steven let out a deep sigh.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yea… I just don’t know what I’m doing wrong at this point. This feels like the 15th time I’ve applied to a garden shop and been turned down.” He had mentioned to Connie that he wanted to settle down for a bit and work a gardening job. Nothing too serious, just something he could do for awhile and feel productive. She was a bit skeptical at first, worried about his past experiences with gardening and the Stevens he had accidentally made. But he assured that he had it all under control now, so she had recommended he make a resume for it. She hadn’t had the time to help him out with it just yet, so he had tried to make one himself using some templates online. He wasn’t entirely sure he had made it right, but he had been as honest on it as possible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, let me take a look at your resume. Maybe I can help you figure out what might be turning people away?” Connie took the phone from Steven and looked over what he had written. The problem was so obvious that she was almost embarrassed she didn’t think of it sooner. “Steven… they probably thought this resume was a joke.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven sat up with a start. “What? Why would they think that, it’s all relevant stuff that I’ve done!” He crowded next to Connie so she could show him what was wrong.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, yea, and it’s all things you’re really good at, but… Steven, most people don’t really know that much about magic, and people in small towns like this probably haven’t heard about all the crazy stuff that’s happened in Beach City. And even if they had, some of this stuff is even silly to us! Like… did you really need to mention the society of Watermelon Stevens? Or Cactus Steven? Or the Bush Stevens?” She sighed, upset with herself for not thinking about all of this when she first came up with the idea. He didn’t exactly have a work history that made sense to most people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh… yea, I guess I didn’t think about that… But what am I supposed to put down then? Helping out at the Car Wash or Funland isn’t really relevant to working with plants.” He frowned a little. He could tell Connie was annoyed, but he had done his best with what he had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, you’re right, I’m sorry. Well… where was the last place that you applied at? Maybe we can just talk to them and explain?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven pointed down the street to a small gardening shop just on the edge of town. It was an old looking building, with a faded sign that read </span>
  <em>
    <span>Krelborn’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> in front of it. “Right there. I actually decided on this coffee shop today because I wanted to go visit it with you later, if you wanted to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Awww… I’d love to! And we can get two birds with one stone this way! Let’s go!” She picked up her latte, pulled Steven up, and marched towards Krelborns.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When they stepped into the store, Connie could tell exactly why Steven wanted to work here. It was lush and vibrant, with the scent of honeysuckle and lavender wafting through the air. It was like they had walked into a small little section jungle on the outskirts of town. A small chime went off, and from behind a counter they heard an old man give a sing-song greeting, before losing his enthusiasm part way through at the sight of Steven. “Hello~! How can I- Oh. It’s you. Come to waste my time with another prank resume?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, nonononono! No, I actually just came to explain myself, and to show your beautiful shop to my girlfriend!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph, can’t imagine what a good explanation would be for that silly thing. What even is a Bush Steven, was that some sort of euphemism!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“NO! NO, oh goodness, no! Ummm… uhhh... ehhhh?” Steven looked at Connie for some sort of support, a panicked expression on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connie looked thoughtful for a second, then reached out and snapped a tulip off of a nearby plant. The man behind the counter’s eyes went wide with anger and confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“AH! CONNIE! Uh, don’t worry, I can fix it!” Steven licked his index finger and stuck it to the shredded stalk. It glowed and glittered with a pink light, before growing back with an even more brilliant bloom on the end of it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I’ll be… alright then, you’ve got my attention. What did you say your name was again, kiddo?” The man stepped out from around the counter and stuck his hand out to Steven for a shake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, I’m Steven, Steven Universe.” He smiled gingerly as he shook the man’s hand. He didn’t seem so bad, but the sudden attitude shift made him uneasy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And I’m Connie Mahashweran, his Girlfriend. Sorry about your tulip, but we needed you to understand he wasn’t pranking you, and that seemed like the fastest way.” Connie reached out her hand as well, and the man gently shook her hand in turn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you two, I’m Andrew Krelborn, the owner. And don’t worry about the tulip, it looks better than ever now! So tell me, Steven, what else can you do? Or is that all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They spent the next hour or so going over all of the most useful things Steven could do, magical or otherwise. Luckily, Greg and Pearl had helped him understand how to do a lot of simple maintenance over the years. With that, as well as his super strength, healing spit, and past experience gardening, Krelborn was more than happy to offer him a job by the end of the day. He even gave them a bouquet of orchids as they left, telling Connie she was free to come by whenever she liked, even if it was just to admire the flowers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After they had walked a little ways from the shop, Steven unexpectedly swept Connie up in a massive hug before jumping them nearly 20 feet into the air. “I GOT IT! Oh my god, Connie, thank you so much!” He giggled and laughed and smothered her with kisses as they softly floated toward the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connie let herself get swept up in the moment, letting him shower her with affection and returning it in kind. She lost herself to until, in a blinding flash of light, Stevonnie wafted down to the ground, hugging themself and giggling endlessly in the moonlight.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thanks for reading my first Ao3 fic, and my first fic set in Steven Universe! This series doesn't really have any set schedule, but hopefully it won't take too long between each chapter! This is very much a "Whenever the inspiration strikes" series, so I don't know when it's going to end, but I have a lot of ideas for new chapters!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Money Problems</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Steven's first day at Krelborn's begins!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Excited about his first day, Steven nearly jumped out of bed that morning. He hummed to himself merrily as he brushed his teeth and jumped into the shower, his quiet humming evolving into a vibrant song as the warm water washed over him. As he’s throwing together a quick breakfast of toast and jam, he sent Connie a quick text:</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>First day of work! So excited, swing by if you get a chance!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He attached a quick selfie, smiling into the camera with obvious glee. He set his phone down, taking a deep drink of milk to wash down the toast. After taking a moment to clean the dishes and straighten up the kitchen, he sprinted out the door, his phone blinking an unnoticed notification from it’s forgotten place on the table.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He giddily walked into </span>
  <em>
    <span>Krelborn’s, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the store still closed as Mr. Krelborn and the other workers were getting the it ready for the day. As the chime for the door went off, Krelborn shouted without looking, “You’ll have to come back in a little bit, we’re not quite open yet!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uhh, it’s actually just me, Mr. Krelborn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krelborn looked up to see Steven timidly walking forward, and immediately changed tone. “Oh, Steven! You’re a little early, I didn’t expect you for another thirty minutes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought I’d show up a bit early to my first day. Have to make a good impression and all!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha! Well, you certainly did that. Even so, you’re not scheduled for a bit, so why don’t you just take it easy for now. I’ll come get you here in a moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Krelborn turned back to his work, Steven started to cautiously wander the store. It was a beautiful place, filled with vibrant flowers and bountiful vegetables growing in tiered planters. He took some time to admire the brilliant cucumbers and plump tomatoes, and to smell the fragrant chrysanthemums and poppies. He especially took care to avoid the roses that lined one hallway. He’s doing better these days, but he’s still not quite ready to deal with that reminder just yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After nearly twenty minutes, Mr. Krelborn called out to him, “Hey Steven, come on up to the front! I want to introduce your coworkers!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Steven jogged to the front of the shop, he noticed the three young people gathered around the counter. They looked almost as colorful as the plants around them, all of them wearing bright colors and one even having bright teal hair. As he approaches, the one with teal hair stepped forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi! You must be Steven, it’s so nice to meet you, I’m Rheo! I use They/Them pronouns, what about you?” Rheo looks bubbly and excited, their high-tied ponytail bouncing as they shift from their toes to their heels and back again. They’re just a little shorter than Steven, but with all of the shifting it’s difficult to tell.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Uhh, He/Him, I guess? I’ve never really thought that hard about it…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fair! Well, I’m looking forward to working with you!” Mr. Krelborn clears his throat, and Rheo takes a rocking step backwards to the counter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, it seems like introductions have already begun, then. Everyone, this is Steven, he’ll be our new team member. If you can, introduce yourselves at some point before the end of the day. But first, let’s agree to everyone’s tasks. Rheo, I want you on the register. Dan, I need you to get the saplings ready for the Holstead Farm order. And Jessica, go ahead and check the soil of the potted plants today. Some of the roses seem to be wilting a bit, and I want to nip that problem in the bud if we can. Steven… hmmm…” He held his chin for a moment as he thought. It reminded Steven of the way Pearl would stand when she was trying to solve a problem. “Steven, why don’t you go ahead and bring the potting soil up to the front. Just stack it up on this pallet, I’ll show you where everything is here in a moment. Alright, then unless someone has something to say, everyone can get to their tasks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rheo hopped onto the other side of the counter to take the register as Dan and Jessica waved before wandering off to their respective task. Krelborn walked into the office, telling Steven to wait for just a moment before coming back out with a pair of brown, fingerless gloves and an apron. “Can’t have you messing up your hands or clothes while you’re working! Lemme know if they’re uncomfortable, we have a few other sizes in there.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, this is totally fine! But you know I don’t really have anything to worry about, right?” Steven slipped the gloves on and pulled the strap comfortably tight before pulling the apron over his head. Krelborn started towards the back room, seemingly ignoring the comment and waving Steven to follow him. As they walked, Krelborn talked about the layout of the store, trying to help Steven get a sense of where to find everything. Steven listened intently, committing the layout to memory and noting where he would likely find all of his favorite things. When they had reached the back room, he thought he had a pretty solid idea of where everything should be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krelborn stopped in front of a towering pile of bags, each filled with</span>
</p><p>
  <span>potting soil. “Alright, so all I want you to do for now is move these bags up to the front, and once you get that done we’ll get you started on your next task!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven looked at the bags incredulously. “Uhh… are you sure that’s all you want me to do for now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! Should take most people a couple of hours, so I suspect you’ll manage in about an hour if everything I’ve seen is ri-” He trailed off as Steven put his hands underneath the pallet, lifting the entire thing off of the ground and moving it to the front of the building with ludicrous ease. “Well, uhhhh… I guess go work with Rheo over at the register for a bit while I try to come up with something for you to do.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Steven approached the front counter, Rheo waved happily. “Hey Steven! What has you up here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mr. Krelborn ran out of things for me to do, so he asked me to come help out on the register.” Steven moved behind the counter, taking the extra seat next to Rheo and getting comfortable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, didn’t he have you moving potting soil? That job takes at least an hour, even for Dan! You’ve only been back there ten minutes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yea, I’m actually crazy strong. It’s part of my powers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rheo scoffed. “You know you can just say he changed his mind, you don’t have to make up weird stories.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? Oh, right, I guess you don’t know. Here, let me show you.” Steven walked over to the nearest pallet and lifted it above his head with one hand. For the next hour, Rheo bombarded him with questions: How much could he lift? What other powers did he have? What was it like to float? What do you mean you have healing spit? How much can it heal?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rheo stared at him with barely contained awe. “Wow, that’s insane! How have I not heard of you before?! You’d think you’d be all over the news, or at least in some government lab somewhere!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I like to keep to myself. I’ve been in the spotlight since I was a kid, so spending the last year or so being relatively unknown has been nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, what do you mean the spot-” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At that moment, a customer walked in, a bright and cheerful older gentleman with short, windswept hair and a cherry-wood cane. With a spring in his long stride, he gave off an air of merriment and respect that Steven couldn’t help but admire. As he stepped up to the counter, he  waved at Rheo. “Why, hello there, Friend Rheo! How are you doing this fine morning? And who might you be, young sir?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rheo returned his enthusiasm ten-fold. “I’m doing great, Mr. Vidal! And this is Steven Universe, he’s our new hire! Just started today, so I’m showing him the ropes!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well you couldn’t have picked a better time! With so many flowers in full bloom now, this place smells about as much like heaven as anywhere could! I’m gonna go say hello to old Krelborn and take a little stroll, but I’ll be back soon enough!” With that Mr. Vidal strode off into the store, smelling the flowers and admiring the produce as he went. Just as he was out of sight, Steven heard him shout, “Krelborn! You old codger, what are you putting these poor kids through today!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rheo giggled. “That’s Mr. Vidal. He’s a regular, always coming in to buy a new bouquet or some fresh potting soil. He’s an absolute sweetheart.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven smiled, reveling in the fun feeling of meeting someone new and interesting. “He seems like it, I can’t wait to get to know him! Hey, why did he call you Friend Rheo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rheo beamed at the question. “Oh! Well, he refers to everyone with titles like Mr. and Ms., but I don’t really feel comfortable with either of those. So when I mentioned it to him, he apologized and asked what he could call me. We brainstormed a bit and settled on Friend, so that’s what he calls me now!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the next couple of hours, Steven worked with Rheo on the register. As Rheo calculated the totals using the store’s ancient calculator, Steven would greet the customers and answer any questions they might have about any of the plants the store had in stock. He even gave out some advanced tips on how to get the most out of certain soils and fertilizers. Unfortunately, whenever Rheo would try to show him how the register worked or how to calculate tax he would freeze up. There were a lot of numbers, and with his education being what it was he found it difficult to keep up with some of the more complicated processes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before long, Krelborn returned to the front of the store. “Steven, what are you doing up here!?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven looked over nervously. “Uh… did I do something wrong?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krelborn threw his hands up. “Wrong!? Of course not! That’s the fifth customer already that’s come back and told me what a wonderful experience they’ve had with you up here, you’re doing absolutely great! I want you to stay right where you are making everyone’s visit great! Rheo, can you come back here for a moment? I can’t seem to find some of the paperwork for the Holstead order, and you know this filing system better than any of us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so Rheo happily darted off to the office, with Krelborn behind them, leaving Steven to man the register alone. For the first few hours, he did great. As People came in he greeted them and answered their questions, being the pure embodiment of charm and friendliness as he did. As luck would have it, most of them had relatively simple orders. It took him a little bit to figure up taxes, but everyone was very patient as he worked his way through the math. He was starting to think that maybe running the register wouldn’t be so bad…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Towards the end of the day, a burlish, dirt covered man shambled up to the counter, his clothes caked in dust and bits of plant matter. “Howdy, name’s Ted Macleod, I’m here to pick up some stuff for my farm. We’re planting a new orchard this season so I’ll need…” The earth-covered man proceeded to rattle off a laundry list of saplings, fertilizers, and equipment as Steven took notes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Steven finished taking his notes, he remarked “Alright, I’ll go get this list back to Mr. Krelborn and have him set everything up for you! Give me just a moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on a minute, before you go back there, can you tell me how much all of this is going to cost?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven blanched at the request. Most of the orders throughout the day had been one or two items at most, but figuring up all of this would be a struggle. He looked over at the store’s archaic calculator. He wasn’t quite sure where Krelborn had gotten it from, or when, but he was almost certain it wasn’t from anywhere nearby. Some of the buttons had symbols and words he didn’t recognize, and he wasn’t sure why it was so large. That was fine, he was more than used to the calculator on his phone, and there was surely an app to calculate all of the sales tax involved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Steven reached into his pocket, he soon realized that his phone was missing. In a panic, he tried to remember all of the places his phone could have been, if it could have fallen out of his pocket, if he could have left it- the table at home. He must have forgotten it on the table on his way out the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, you all there? I asked you for an estimate, son!”</span>
</p><p><span>“Oh! Sorry, yea, uh… just let me go get-”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“It’s an estimate, boy, it doesn’t take a team, just figure it up!” Macleod was getting frustrated, his temper audibly flaring and stopped Steven in his tracks.</span></p><p>
  <span>Steven swallowed. “Uh… sure! Give me a moment…” He set to work trying to figure up all the prices, calculating taxes, and trying to come up with a total. He attempted to use the store’s calculator a couple of times, but he couldn’t quite work everything out, so he kept going back to pencil and paper. After nearly fifteen minutes of struggling through the math, other customers were starting to line up behind Macleod, making Steven’s anxiety build.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Krelborn and Rheo finally came back to the register, Steven had five pages dripping with ink as he performed what limited math he could on paper. Rows upon rows of long division scribbled between haphazard addition and subtraction as he scrambled to get an estimate, with Macleod visibly frustrated and the growing line of customers looking worried and annoyed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krelborn was visibly stunned. “Steven! What is all this mess!? Rheo, take over for him. I’m sorry folks, he’s a new-hire and he’s still getting the hang of things. Ted, why don’t you go on back and tell Dan what you need, he’ll help you get sorted out. Steven, come back to the office with me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven followed Krelborn to the office, his shoulders drooping slightly with shame and embarrassment. He hoped this wasn’t enough for Krelborn to fire him over, but he couldn’t really know. He had hoped his math issues wouldn’t come up this soon, but being unexpectedly left at the register… he only hoped that Krelborn would be understanding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So Steven, you wanna tell me what that was back there? These papers look like the scribbles of a madman!” Krelborn waved the note paper Steven had been writing his math out on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven winced. “Well… I’m not that good at math, especially when it comes to money. I didn’t go to school as a kid, and I only barely managed to get my GED. I can still do the math, it just takes me a while to get through it.”</span>
</p><p><span>Krelborn looked dumbstruck. “You… you never went to school? Were you homeschooled?”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“Well… sort of, but my guardians had a very unique idea of what I needed to learn. My dad tried to help me out when he could, but he was always busy.”</span></p><p>
  <span>“You had guardians AND a father? How did… look, it doesn’t matter. We can’t have you being this poor at basic math.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven let out a heavy sigh. He was worried this would happen. “I understand Mr. Krelborn. I’ll go ahead and get out of here then. Thanks for what little time-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now hold on a moment, who said anything about you leaving? You leaving isn’t gonna fix your problem! I’ll tell you what, you come back to the office about 30 minutes before we close every day, and I’ll help you improve your math skills. Once you’re at a good point, we’ll put you back on the register, but until then we’ll only have you working it if there’s someone to help you out with the harder orders, alright?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean… you mean you’re going to let me keep working here?” Steven looked quizzically at Mr. Krelborn. Surely there were other people who could help out around the store, people he wouldn’t have to put so much time and effort into. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No! You’ve got the strength of ten men, you’re an absolute delight with the customers, and you’re almost as knowledgeable as I am, if not more! Besides, I’m not gonna kick you to the curb just because you need some help, that would be ridiculous. So you commit to getting better with the math, and I commit to keeping you around, does that sound good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! Thanks so much, Mr. Krelborn, I won’t let you down!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Make sure you don’t! You go ahead and go home for the day, there isn’t much time left in the day anyhow. Tomorrow we’ll start on getting that math problem sorted, and maybe have you work in the back with Dan for a bit.” Krelborn waved Steven off with a smile as he sat down to work on some paperwork, humming to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven left the office and started towards the front door. As he passed the register, he noticed Rheo had already cleared the line of people that had formed during his small fiasco and sent them on their way. “Sorry about earlier, I’m-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t worry about it. If you’ve got a struggle you don’t need to explain it to me, but if there’s anything I can do to help you out let me know!” Rheo smiled, bright and cheerful, as they bounced back to the office with the register drawer in tow. Just as they were through the door, they poked their head back out to say, “Oh! That reminds me, you should go look in the orchids, I think there’s something for you there!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Confused, Steven crept over to the orchids, their vibrant hues dimmed slightly by the fluorescent lighting above. As he turned the corner, he was surprised by a full-force tackle that knocked him to his feet, and a melodic giggle he would recognize anywhere. “Strawberry! What are you doing here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Connie squeezed him tightly, “I wanted to walk you home on your first day of work! Didn’t you get my message?” She stood, pulling him up to his feet as she did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven brushed the dust off of his pants and chuckled, “No, I totally spaced this morning and left my phone at the hotel! If I had known I’d have been better prepared!” He swept her up in a massive bear hug, spinning briefly before setting her down and taking her hand in his. “Are you ready to go?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course! Just give me one second, I want to thank Mr. Krelborn for watching over you today!” Connie started towards the back office, dragging Steven behind her, not noticing the slight resistance in his stride. “Hey Mr. Krelborn!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Krelborn craned his head out of the office. “Why hello there, Connie! I see you’ve found the star of the hour already!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked over at Steven coyly as he nervously smiled, “The Star, huh? And what could he have been doing to get recognition like that?” Steven winced slightly. Connie knew that he had issues with math, but the idea of Krelborn telling her about his earlier fiasco made him anxious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why, he spent the entire afternoon charming every man and woman that came through that door! We had more than a few of the feistier old gals asking if he was single, and even some of the fellas! Gotta be careful, one of them might wile him away from you!” Krelborn made an exaggerated wink towards Steven, playing up the absurdity of the claim. When Steven realized that Krelborn wasn’t going to tell Connie what happened, he released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh I’m sure I’ll be fine. My Biscuit would never leave me all alone like that, would you?” She looked at Steven with an exaggerated pout, her lip quivering and her eyes wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Steven giggled, “Never Strawberry. I’m all yours!” He gave her a short peck on the cheek before turning towards the door. “Goodbye Mr. Krelborn! See you tomorrow!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow. This took a lot longer to get out than I would have liked.</p><p>But it's here now, and Steven has made it through his first day! Gonna be honest, I kind of rushed the ending a little, wrote it while I was a bit frustrated, but I still think it came out alright!</p><p>Next time, let's get to know the Co-Workers!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey everyone, thanks for reading my first work on Ao3! This was inspired by posts by @Watery_Day on Twitter, including a wonderful pic of Steven in a gardening outfit!</p><p>This was just for fun, so don't expect a schedule for new chapters, but I definitely have some more planned out that are going to be a lot of fun to write!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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